Detergent dispensing wheel support for shampoo appliances



June 26, 1962 M. w. HELM DETERGENT DISPENSING WHEEL SUPPORT FOR SHAMPOO APPLIANCES Filed June 12, 1961 Patented June 26, 1962 3,040,350 DETERGENT DISPENSKNG WHEEL SUPPORT FUR SHAMPOO APPLIANCES Mark W. Helm, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation vof Ohio Filed June 12, 1961, Ser. No. 116,584

5 (Ilaims. (Cl. 155) The present invention relates to a shampoo appliance and more particularly to an arrangement for dispensing a liquid detergent onto the brushes of a shampoo appliance or dispensing a liquid wax onto the floor to the rear of the appliance when it is converted for polishing operations.

The present invention is an improvement over my copending application, Serial No. 856,543, filed December 1, 1959. That application discloses a liquid containing receptacle detachably mounted on the handle of a shampoo appliance together with valve means for dispensing a liquid detergent on top of special vertical axis shampoo brushes rotatably mounted within the appliance frame.

According to the present invention a combined wheel support and liquid dispenser and distributer is provided for an appliance having a liquid dispensing container of the type disclosed in my above mentioned copending application.

According to the present invention, the liquid container may contain either a liquid detergent or a liquid wax depend-ing upon whether the appliance is to be used as a shampooer for rugs and carpets or a bare floor waxer and polisher.

The present invention comprises a wheel bracket secured beneath the frame of the appliance in such a manner that the appliance may be tilted back upon the Wheels and moved from place to place, or supported on the wheels and the upper end of the handle to facilitate changing the brushes. 7 V

The bracket is also provided with forwardly and sidewardly extending liquid distributing arms extending over an annular liquid receiving cavity in each of two special shampoo brushes rotatably mounted on a vertical axis beneath the frame of the appliance.

The bracket is positioned midway between the two brushes so as not to interfere with the rotation of the brushes.

Liquid passageways are formed in the upper face of the distributing arms which communicate with a vertically extending bore formed in the bracket to the rear of the appliance. A second vertical bore is formed in the bracket to the rear of the first and extends entirely through the bracket so as to be open to the floor beneath the bracket.

A small flexible tube extends downwardly from the valve of the container supported on the handle. When the device is to be used as a shampoo appliance the lower end of the tube is positioned in the forward one of the bores so that liquid detergent is dispensed onto the special shampoo brushes.

When the appliance is to be used for waxing and polishing bare floors, the special shampoo brushes are replaced by ordinary polishing brushes, a container containing liquid wax is placed on the handle and the lower end of the tube positioned in the rear bore of the bracket so that the liquid wax may be dispensed as desired onto the floor to the rear of the appliance.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an appliance to which the present invention is applied;

. FIG. 2 is a view looking downwardly on a combined wheel support and dispensing arrangement of the present invention with the body of the appliance removed; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the appliance to which. the present invention is applied comprises a main power plant 10, a handle 11, including a handle bail 12, pivotedat 13 to the power plant 10, a dispensing receptacle 14 and the combined support and liquid distributer 15 of the present invention. A latch 9 of any well known construction is provided so that the handle 11 may be locked in the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 in order that the appliance may be tipped backwardly onto the wheels 16.

The power unit 10 includes a motor housed within a hood 17 and gearing housed within the casing 18. The

gearing drives two vertical axis shafts in a manner well known in the art and to which are attached two brushes, one of which is shown at 19 in FIG. 1 andthe other at 20 in FIG. 2.

The receptacle 14 is detachably supported on the handle 11 in a manner more fully disclosed in my above mentioned copending application to which reference is made for a more complete description. The receptacle 14 is supported on the bail 12 by support brackets 21 and as disclosed in my copending application is provided with a dispensing valve between the brackets 21. The valve is actuated by a valve lever 22 pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of handle 11. A small diameter flexible tube 23 extends downwardly from the outlet of the valve and its lower end coacts with the distributer 15 in a manner which will presently appear.

The motor of the power unit 10 is supplied with electric current by means of an electric extension cord 24 which may be plugged into any suitable electrical outlet by means of plug 25.

The brushes 19 and 20 form no part of the present invention and comprise shampoo brushes one of which is shown in detail by FIGS. 2 and 3.

The brush 20 comprises a body 26 of a comparatively rigid plastic material formed with an inner annular wall 27 by which it may be attached to the vertical axis shafts of the power unit 10 in any suitable manner well known in the art.

Between the inner wall 27 and an intermediate annular wall 28 is formed an upwardly facing comparatively wide annular detergent receiving recess 29 into which the distributer of the present invention discharges as will presently appear.

An outer annular wall 30 cooperates with the intermediate wall 28 to form a downwardly facing annular brush receiving recess 31 in which an annular brush 32 is detachably received. It is to be noted that the lower ends of the bristles extend only slightly below the bottom of the body 26 so that the bristles sink into the carpet pile when the appliance is in use while the main weight is supported by the lower surface of body 26.

The bottom wall of the recess 29 at the edge adjacent the wall 28 is formed with an annular row of distributing openings 33 through which the detergent flows onto the carpet inside of the brush ring 32.

The combined support and distributor 15 of the present invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. It comprises a main body 34 made of comparatively rigid and strong plastic material. I

The body 34 includes a comparatively heavy rear portion 35 with the axle 36 for the wheels molded in situ. As an alternative the axles may be molded as a part of the body 34.

From the rear portion 35, a tapered girder-like member 37 extends forwardly and is provided with screw receiving openings 38 by which it may be screwed to the underside of the main frame of the power unit 10.

Extending forwardly and laterally from the central girder section 37 are a pair of wings 39 and 40, having distributing grooves 41 and 42 formed in their upper sides which terminate at their outer ends in openings 43 and 44, extending downwardly through the wings 39' and 40 and overlying the annular recesses 29 of brushes 19 and 20 when in assembled relationship to the power unit 10.

At their rear ends the grooves 41 and 42 merge and extend rearwardly at '45 to communicate with a horizontal bore 46 formed in an upwardly extending pro turberance 47 to the rear of the hood 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

A pair of vertically extending bores 48 and 49 of a size to receive the lower end of hose 23 are formed in the protuberance 47 to the rear of the power unit The bore 48 communicates with the horizontal bore 46 while the bore 49 has an opening 50 at its lower end which communicates with the atmosphere in front of the wheels 16.

Operation The handle 11 is provided with a latch 9 to latch it in its vertical position as shown in FIG. 1' so that the entire appliance may be tipped back onto the wheels 16 to raise the brushes 19 and 20 from contact with the floor and the appliance tiundled about on the wheels 16 to the scene of operations.

When a rug or carpet is to be shampooed, a detergent is placed in the tank 14. If a bare floor is to be waxed a water soluble liquid wax is used. In either case when changing from one operation to another the receptacle 14 should be removed and its interior rinsed out with water before refilling with the alternate liquid.

Alternatively, separate tanks containing the alternate liquids may be used in which case it will only be necessary to change receptacles, when changing from one operation to the other.

Let it be assumed that it is desired to shampoo a rug or carpet and the appliance .is already equipped with the special shampoo brushes.

In that case a liquid detergent is placed in the tank 14 and the lower end of hose 23 is placed in the front bore 48.

The handle 11 is then moved rearwardly to its operating position, the power unit 10 energized and the appliance moved about while intermittently actuating dispensing lever 22, to open the valve in the bottom of tank 14.

The liquid detergent will flow downwardly through tube 23, through bore 46, along grooves 45, 41 and 42 and through openings 43 and 44 to be deposited in the annular recesses 29 in the brushes 19 and 20. The centrifugal action of the rotating brushes will cause the detergent to move against wall 28 and it will flow downwardly through openings 33 onto the rug or carpet being shampooed inside brush ring 32.

The main weight of the appliance will be carried by the bottom surface of the plastic bodies 26 while the ends of the bristles will penetrate -the pile and thoroughly shampoo the fabric.

liquid wax placed therein and the lower end of tube 23 placed in the rear bore 49.

The, appliance is then operated as before but over a bare floor instead of a carpet. The liquid Wax will flow downwardly through tube 23, bore 49 and out of opening 50 onto the floor behind the polishing brushes. The rotating brushes will distribute the wax as well as polish the floor in a well known manner.

From the foregoing it can be seen that the appliance of the present invention is a multipurpose appliance which may be used for shampooing rugs and carpets or alternatively for waxing and polishing bare floors and which may quickly be changed from one operation to the other.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that that embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the specific structure shown and described but wish to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim: i

1. A multi-purpose appliance comprising, a power unit, a pair of detachable vertical axis brushes rotatably driven by said power unit, a handle pivoted at its lower end to said power unit, a liquid dispensing receptacle supported on said handle, a dispensing tube extending downwardly from said receptacle and a combined support and liquid distributer secured to the rear of said power unit, said combined support and distributer including means to conduct liquid to said brushes and means to conduct liquid to the floor to the rear of said brushes, each of said means including a connection for receiving the lower end of said tube.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 including supporting wheels attached to said combined support and distributer to the rear of said power unit, said wheels being normally free of the supporting surface and positioned to carry the weight of the appliance as it is tipped rearwardly onto said wheels.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 in which said combined support and distributer includes duct means extending forwardly and laterally to a. position overlying said brushes and positioned to discharge liquid on top of said brushes and second duct means positioned to discharge liquid onto the floor to the rear of said brushes.

4. A combined support and liquid distributer for attachment to the power unit of a multi-purpose appliance comprising, a body including an upwardly extending protuberance to be positioned to the rear of said power unit, a girder-like member extending forwardly from said protuberance for attachment to said power unit, a pair of wings extending forwardly and laterally from the forward end of said girder-like member one on either side thereof, a first verticallly extending bore formed in said protuberance, duct means formed in said body and extending forwardly from the lower .end of said first bore along said girder-like member along said Wings and downwardly through the ends of said wings and a second vertically extending bore formed in said protuberance and opening to the atmosphere below said protuberance.

5. A combined support and liquid distributer according to claim 4 including a support carried by said body to the rear of said protuberance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

